TMJ Disorders

By: Staff Reports | Gwinnett Citizen

TMJ DisordersBy Dr. Megan Mazzawi

Growing up I often heard the advertisement stating, “orange juice isn’t just for breakfast anymore.” My mind often wanders back to this commercial when I think of Botox. While most people conjure up an image of a wrinkle-free face, that is just one of several benefits. I think one of the most promising and exciting uses involves TMJ disorders and the headaches associated with muscle tension around the joint.

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Such a large percentage of the patients I see on a daily basis have the chief complaint of “jaw pain” or “headaches”. These symptoms are typically associated with the clenching or grinding of teeth. We can now tailor the dosage of Botox so each patient can still function normally, but it will relax the muscle, just enough, to reduce the clenching and grinding. This is now considered by some to be the first line of therapy with the muscles associated with TMJ disorder rather than a bulky bite splint. An added benefit is that we can actually re-shape the angle of the jaw over time as the muscle relaxes. Women, in particular, like this as it can provide the more feminine “heart shaped” look so many desire. So, if any of these issues sound familiar to you, remember, “Botox isn’t just for wrinkles anymore.”